Cookbook Review & Giveaway: Kosher by Design Cooking Coach

After I attended a private media reception for Susie Fishbein’s newest cookbook, Kosher By Design Cooking Coach, my friends were bombarding me with questions about the recipes! “How’s the cookbook?” “Do you love the recipes?” “Should I go buy the cookbook?” Well, let’s just say that the answer to all of those questions is YES! Let me just say that all of the opinions in this review are completely my own. After meeting Susie at her launch party, I can truly say that I am a huge fan of not only her cookbooks but also her passion for food and teaching the world how to have fun in the kitchen.

GAME PLAN:

There are many layers to Susie Fishbein’s newest cookbook. The Cooking Coach isn’t just a book of recipes; it’s also an education in cooking technique and budget-stretching ideas. Let’s start at the beginning with the Game Plan. From the minute you open the cookbook, you are treated to an education on the equipment every cook should have in the kitchen. From knives and cutting boards to buying the perfect pots and pans, Susie’s comprehensive list won’t leave you empty handed. If you’re a novice chef, moving in to your first home or just a cook that likes to keep things simple, some of the items on the list may be a little out of your league. Sure, everyone needs sharp knives but don’t worry if they are Japanese or European. And you know I love a good candy thermometer, but I don’t own a deep frying thermometer and I’m not running out to buy one any time soon.

My favorite part of Susie’s Game Plan is the check list of good ingredients that you should have in your pantry at all times. Many are as simple as fresh eggs, lemons and olive oil, while others are more exotic, like sriracha (my favorite hot sauce), mirin and chicken bones. Let me tell you, with all of those ingredients in your kitchen, you can follow any of Susie’s recipes in a snap. Nice planning, Susie, nice planning!

Each section of the Cooking Coach begins with a Game Plan. Besides the incredible recipes, THIS is my favorite part of the cookbook! You will learn plating and garnishing technique’s, how to perfectly dress and prepare a salad, how to spatchcock a chicken and carve a turkey, the differences in cuts of meat, how to hard-boil and soft-boil and egg, and more! Want to know the difference between flour, all-purpose flour, cake flour and bread flour? Just turn to page 291 in the Dessert Section!

THE PLAYBOOK:

Susie’s family is anti-leftovers. I, on the other hand, can eat the same leftovers over and over again but I can understand how one might not want to see the same food every night. So the Playbook section is all about recycling your leftovers in new ways. From Appetizers all the way through Side Dishes, Susie gives you tons of ways to remake her recipes into completely new dishes. For example, when making Helene’s Turkey Taco Eggrolls (Susie taught us how to make these delicious eggrolls and the supporting dishes at her launch party), make a double batch of the filling and freeze some for later. When you are ready to use the ground turkey, defrost and mix with jarred marinara sauce to make stuffed portobello mushroom caps. By using this concept throughout Cooking Coach or in any of the other recipes you find in cookbooks and online, you will never have to eat plain leftovers again…unless you want to!

Turkey Taco Eggrolls pg. 46

RECIPES:

Now on to the most important part of any cookbook- the recipes! If you are new in the kitchen and cooking for the first time, you might be a bit intimidated by many of the recipes in Cooking Coach. There are a lot of ingredients, even in some of the more simple dishes. But if you have the patience to go grocery shopping with a long list, the directions for the recipes aren’t too out of control. Susie obviously has the knack for telling a story with her recipes and you can’t really get lost following her perfectly laid our directions. Just don’t forget to read the directions a day or two before you plan to make any of her recipes! That tip goes for making any new dishes. You never know if you’ll have to marinate something overnight or make a dough that needs to be refrigerated for 3 hours…

Susie has graciously allowed me to share a few of her recipes from Cooking Coach. Choosing my favorites was nearly impossible but I was able to narrow it down! Since I can only share two, I also wanted to share a few gorgeous photos of my other favorites just so you can check them out when you buy (or win below) the cookbook. Drool away:

Blueberry and Fig-Glazed Duck Breasts, pg. 134

Lamb Shanks with Cherries and Port pg. 198

Now on to the recipes: Just click on the names to find the full printable recipes. I chose these two recipes because the flavors are some of my favorites and I hope you feel the same.

1. Pecan Pie French Toast Bake: I am absolutely in love with bread pudding and this french toast bake reminds me of a combination I would make up in my own kitchen. Pecans, pancake syrup, challah and lots of dark brown sugar!

Now that you’ve seen what Kosher By Design Cooking Coachhas to offer, I know you want to go out and get it. You can certainly buy it herebut you can also try winning it below. So it’s time for the Giveaway!!! Enter the giveaway for a chance to win Susie Fishbein’s latest cookbook, Kosher by Design Cooking Coach! Last chance to enter will be Monday night, December 4th. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, December 5th.

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I'm Melinda, founder of Kitchen-Tested.com. After my two young children go to bed, the pots and pans come out and the escapades begin. I hope to inspire you by adding unique twists to simple recipes and bravely using unusual ingredients in an accessible way.

Oops – forgot to leave a question … I would ask her what are her top make ahead recipes that hold well for next day (like shabbat lunches, etc…).

Penina

Cookbook looks awesome. I’m a huge SF fan!

http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Peikes/721560918 Daniel Peikes

Finally something that teaches people HOW to cook, not just a set of inscructions . What is the most important tool in your kitchen?

Shoshana

Cookbook looks wonderful! I’d love to win one!

Shoshana

Would love to ask her for suggestions of what to do with leftovers.

http://www.facebook.com/ellen.r.hellman Ellen Russak Hellman

I love her books. I just wish I could get all the ingredients here in Israel.

http://twitter.com/ItyBtyBalebusta Itsy Bitsy Balebusta

Thanks for such a fantastic review! I cannot wait to try that pecan french toast bake! Looks absolutely incredible!

http://twitter.com/ItyBtyBalebusta Itsy Bitsy Balebusta

I’d ask questions about storing and freezing the recipes in the book – I’ve yet to go through this one, but KBD Short on Time is one of my fave cookbooks and it’d be great to know how long in advance some of my favorite recipes could be made!

http://twitter.com/thekosherspoon Sina

ive heard so many great things about this CB

CM

Would love to win. Always like trying new recipes.

Molly

Susie Fishbein is the best!

Aura

Great cook books, would love to try the new one!

http://twitter.com/tzemerupishtim Ita Ariela

This cookbook looks amazing. I have been wanting to work on my cooking skills. I bought the book already . I live in Israel and can’t wait to experiment in finding alternate ingredients..

Deborah

I would love to ask her where she comes up with all her wonderful recipes.

http://pop-pr.blogspot.com Jeremy Pepper

But does it have some old school Yiddish recipes?! I always wanted to learn how to make schmaltz and gribennes.

http://www.facebook.com/sara.mara.505 Sara Mara

when did you first start cooking?

sweiss

woo-hoo!

http://www.facebook.com/stefanie.f.sturm Stefanie Friedman Sturm

When creating a cookbook does she get an inkling of which recipes become fan favorites and which don’t and she ever surprised by which recipes become which.

Melissa {lilmisscakes}

I would ask Susie what she would eat for her last meal.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=635646432 Tziona Schlachter

I love your other recipe books and recipes. But how do you make the food look so pretty?

Cathy in Seattle

Nice website, nice cookbook. Now I’m inspired to make something great this Shabbat, thanks Melinda.

http://joyofkosher.com/ Tamar Genger

I love the cookbook, I have gotten some great ideas, thanks for sharing this.